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Sun Jan 24 11:35:49 EST 2010
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Trauma patients safe from mortality risks associated with so-called 'weekend effect' - People who are in car crashes or suffer serious falls, gunshot or knife wounds and other injuries at nights or on weekends do not appear to be affected by the same medical care disparities -- the so-called "weekend effect" -- as patients who suffer heart attacks, strokes, cardiac arrests and other time-sensitive illnesses during those "off hours," according to new research from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine.

Using supercomputers to explore nuclear energy - A new computer algorithm developed by researchers at the US Department of Energy's Argonne National Laboratory allows scientists to view nuclear fission in much finer detail than ever before.

Driven to distraction: New study shows driving hinders talking - It is well known that having a conversation (for example on a cell phone) impairs one's driving. A new study indicates the reverse is also true: Driving reduces one's ability to comprehend and use language.

RIT captures Haiti disaster with high-tech imaging system - Rochester Institute of Technology scientists are surveying the damage in Haiti with high-tech sensors integrated into a small aircraft. They are using the data to produce information maps for relief and recovery agencies. The World Bank is funding the five-day flight.

NASA's TRMM satellite doesn't need 3-D glasses for Magda - People may need 3-D glasses to see life-like images, but rainfall and cloud data from the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission or TRMM satellite gives scientists a three-dimensional look at tropical cyclones without the glasses.

CSHL study identifies potential way to reverse cancer cell metabolism and tumor growth - A team of scientists led by Professor Adrian Krainer, Ph.D., of Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory has discovered molecular factors in cancer cells that boost the production of an enzyme that helps alter the cells' glucose metabolism. The altered metabolic state, called the Warburg effect, promotes extremely rapid cell proliferation and tumor growth.

NASA's Terra satellite captures cyclone Magda's Australian landfall - When Cyclone Magda made landfall from Collier Bay at around 5 a.m. local time on January 22 in northern Australia, NASA's Terra satellite captured an image of the storm. Magda is now dissipating rapidly over land in northern West Australia.

Autism Speaks responds to recent publications citing autism clusters in California - Autism Speaks reviewed papers identifying California clusters of autism. UC Davis used CADDS data (10,000 cases in 2.5 million births, 1996-2000) finding clusters associated with higher parental education and age. Columbia University identified clusters (11,500 cases among four million births by birthplace) avoiding bias when parents move to access autism services. Both add to evidence on regional differences in autism cases. Study of environmental exposures and social factors will provide answers on causes of clusters.

Queen's Human Media Lab makes board games electronic - A groundbreaking technology developed at Queen's University in Ontario, Canada may make traditional board games a thing of the past.The technology allows groups of friends or family members to play electronic games like they used to do board games: in a sociable and physical setting, placed together around a table. It also eases game controls by using affordances of regular cardboard pieces.

Report examines options for detecting and countering near-Earth objects - A new report from the National Research Council lays out options NASA could follow to detect more near-Earth objects (NEOs) -- asteroids and comets that could pose a hazard if they cross Earth's orbit. The report says the $4 million the US spends annually to search for NEOs is insufficient to meet a congressionally mandated requirement to detect NEOs that could threaten Earth.

Images reveal spectacular X-ray tails - Michigan State University astronomer Megan Donahue uses words such as "cool" and "interesting" to describe the two distinct "tails" found on a long tail of gas that is believed to be forming stars where few stars have been formed before.

For most outfielders, luck has nothing to do with catching flies - New research from Brown University supports a long-standing theory about how outfielders catch fly balls. The eye continuously tracks the ball as its visual velocity increases or decreases, and the outfielder runs backward or forward to compensate. Details are online at the Journal of Vision.

Congo receives help from space after volcano eruption - On Jan. 2, Mount Nyamulagira in the Democratic Republic of Congo erupted, spewing lava from its southern flank and raising concerns that the 100,000 people in the town of Sake could be under threat. Fears were also triggered in Goma as rumors circulated that an eruption was imminent at the nearby Nyiragongo volcano, which devastated the city in 2002.

Science in the media - A major new report into science and the media has drawn on research by Cardiff University which found that that in some respects specialist science news reporting in the UK is in relatively good health. However the research also warns about the serious threat to the quality and independence of science reporting posed by the wider crisis in journalism.

Study shows genital herpes virus reactivates widely throughout genital tract - Genital herpes caused by a reactivation of herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2) is generally treated as a lesion in one specific area of the genital region. A new study, however, finds that the virus can frequently reactivate throughout the genital tract, an important new concept that could help guide both HSV-2 treatment and prevention. Now available online, the study appears in the Feb. 15 issue of the Journal of Infectious Diseases.

Cartilage repair can improve life, ease burden on health services - Osteoarthritis is one of the 10 most disabling diseases in the developed world and is set to become more of a financial burden on health services as average life expectancy increases.

Scientists shed new light on walking - Researchers at the medical university Karolinska Institutet have created a genetically modified mouse in which certain neurons can be activated by blue light. Shining blue light on brain stems or spinal cords isolated from these mice produces walking-like motor activity. The findings, which are published in the scientific journal Nature Neuroscience, are of potential significance to the recovery of walking after spinal cord injury.

Neuron connections seen in 3-D - A team of researchers from the Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, in Germany, led by the Spanish physicist Rubén Fernández-Busnadiego, has managed to obtain 3-D images of the vesicles and filaments involved in communication between neurons. The method is based on a novel technique in electron microscopy, which cools cells so quickly that their biological structures can be frozen while fully active.

Global tobacco report outlines 21 challenges for 21st century - A new American Cancer Society report outlines 21 challenges and needs for global tobacco control, covering the wide range of issues to be addressed and expertise needed to reduce the rising tide of tobacco use worldwide, particularly in the low- and middle-income nations that are the target of the multinational tobacco industry.

Tips from the American Journal of Pathology - These tips highlight articles published in the February 2010 issue of the American Journal of Pathology.

Double trouble: Bacterial super-infection after the flu - Current research suggests that the flu may predispose to secondary bacterial infections, which account for a significant proportion of mortality during flu pandemics. The related report by Lee et al., "A mouse model of lethal synergism between influenza virus and Haemophilus influenzae," appears in the February 2010 issue of the American Journal of Pathology.

Lighter sedation for elderly during surgery may reduce risk of confusion, disorientation after - A common complication following surgery in elderly patients is postoperative delirium, a state of confusion that can lead to long-term health problems and cause some elderly patients to complain that they "never felt the same" again after an operation. But a new study by Johns Hopkins researchers suggests that simply limiting the depth of sedation during procedures could safely cut the risk of postoperative delirium by 50 percent.

Simple steps prevent life-threatening bloodstream infections in children - Pediatric hospitals can significantly decrease the number of bloodstream infections from central venous catheters by following some low-tech rules: insert the catheter correctly and, above all, keep everything squeaky clean after that.

Leading cause of medical evacuation out of war zones: It's not combat injury - The most common reasons for medical evacuation of military personnel from war zones in Iraq and Afghanistan in recent years have been fractures, tendinitis and other musculoskeletal and connective tissue disorders, not combat injuries, according to results of a Johns Hopkins study published Jan. 22 in the Lancet.

Common heart medications may also protect against Parkinson's disease, study finds - In the first large-scale population-based study of its kind, UCLA researchers have found that a specific type of medication used to treat such cardiovascular conditions as hypertension, angina and abnormal heart rhythms, may also decrease the risk of developing Parkinson's disease.

Providing good customer service is key to surviving down economy - The recession and the recent holiday shopping crunch have brought further into focus the true importance of receiving good customer service. Americans are being more careful than ever about how and where they spend their money. A new report from the Center for Services Leadership at the W. P. Carey School of Business at Arizona State University reveals advice from some of the top names in business on how to keep customers happy.

Mussel-inspired 'glue' for fetal membrane repair - A sealant inspired by mussels' ability to stick to surfaces under wet conditions has shown promise in the repair of defects in human fetal membranes, according to a Northwestern University study. During a pregnancy, such defects -- ruptures or holes -- can lead to the leakage of amniotic fluid, resulting in premature labor or termination of the pregnancy. In tests, the Northwestern sealant was found to be biocompatible and effective at sealing the tiny holes.

New study: Human running speeds of 35 to 40 mph may be biologically possible - A new study in the Journal of Applied Physiology offers intriguing insights into the biology of human running speed. The study identifies the critical variable imposing the biological limit to running speed, and projects how the biological limits might be pushed beyond speeds achieved by Usain Bolt to perhaps 35 or even 40 miles per hour, said two of the study's authors: Peter Weyand, Southern Methodist University, Dallas, and Matthew Bundle, University of Wyoming.

Stress peptide and receptor may have role in diabetes - The neuropeptide corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) makes cameo appearances throughout the body, but its leading role is as the opening act in the stress response, jump-starting the process along the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis. Researchers at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies have found that CRF also plays a part in the pancreas, where it increases insulin secretion and promotes the division of the insulin-producing beta cells.

New earthquake information unearthed by San Andreas Fault studies - Recent studies of stream channel offsets along the San Andreas Fault reveal new information about fault behavior -- changing our understanding of the potential for damaging earthquakes.

Watching crystals grow may lead to faster electronic devices - The quest for faster electronic devices recently got something more than a little bump up in technological knowhow. Scientists at Cornell University, Ithaca, NY. discovered that the thin, smooth, crystalline sheets needed to make semiconductors, which are the foundation of modern computers, might be grown into smoother sheets by managing the random darting motions of the atomic particles that affect how the crystals grow.

HIV infection prematurely ages the brain - HIV infection or the treatments used to control it are prematurely aging the brain, researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and the University of California, San Diego have found. Blood flow in the brains of HIV patients is reduced to levels normally seen in uninfected patients 15 to 20 years older.

Water hits and sticks: Findings challenge a century of assumptions about soil hydrology - Researchers have discovered that some of the most fundamental assumptions about how water moves through soil in a seasonally dry climate such as the Pacific Northwest are incorrect -- and that a century of research based on those assumptions will have to be reconsidered.

NYSCF Fellow lead author on study that creates blood vessel cells from stem cells - New York Stem Cell Foundation-Druckenmiller Fellow, Daylon James, Ph.D., of Weill Cornell Medial College, is lead author on a study defining conditions for generating a plentiful supply of endothelial (vessel lining) cells that are suitable for therapeutic use. Dr. James and his colleagues created a human embryonic stem cell "reporter" line that can be used to measure endothelial cell production and activity.

A computer per student leads to higher performance than traditional classroom settings - Providing every student and teacher with a laptop computer can produce improved student performance in some subjects, when compared to traditional classroom settings, according to findings in a special edition of the Journal of Technology, Learning and Assessment.

NASA research finds last decade was warmest on record, 2009 one of warmest years - A new analysis of global surface temperatures by NASA scientists finds the past year was tied for the second warmest since 1880. In the Southern Hemisphere, 2009 was the warmest year on record.

Zebrafish swim into drug development - By combining the tools of medicinal chemistry and zebrafish biology, a team of Vanderbilt investigators has identified compounds that may offer therapeutic leads for bone-related diseases and cancer.The findings, reported in ACS Chemical Biology, support using zebrafish as a novel platform for drug development.

Study shows value of sexual reproduction versus asexual reproduction - Living organisms have good reason for engaging in sexual, rather than asexual, reproduction according to Maurine Neiman, assistant professor of biology in the UI College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and researcher in the Roy J. Carver Center for Genomics.

Tropical Storm Magda puts North Western Australian on alert - An area of low pressure in the Southern Indian Ocean, located close to Australia's northwestern coast was being watched for development yesterday. This morning it exploded into Tropical Storm Madga. NASA's Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission, or TRMM satellite noticed that Magda's outer rainbands were already affecting land today.

Managing Pacific Northwest dams for a changing climate - Civil engineers at the University of Washington and the US Army Corps of Engineers' Seattle office have taken a first look at how dams in the Columbia River basin, the nation's largest hydropower system, could be managed for a different climate.

How does an outfielder know where to run for a fly ball? - To test three theories that might explain an outfielder's ability to catch a fly ball, researcher Philip Fink, Ph.D., from Massey University in New Zealand and Patrick Foo, Ph.D., from the University of North Carolina at Ashville programmed Brown University's virtual reality lab, the VENLab, to produce realistic balls and simulate catches. The team then lobbed virtual fly balls to a dozen experienced ball players.

Pitt research explores how categories and environment create satisfied and well-informed consumers - Expert consumers like to be surprised by unusual product presentation, while novices crave familiarity, so claims a new Pitt/USC study titled "Smart Subcategories: How Assortment Formats Influence Consumer Learning and Satisfaction," to be published in the June issue of Journal of Consumer Research.

Ask the non-experts - In a research project about early autism detection in infants, Dr. Daniel Messinger, an associate professor of psychology in the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Miami is working with non-expert coders to observe and provide data during experiments. The project shows that non-experts can effectively gain similar outcomes to the coders who have gone through extensive training, thus simplifying the research process without compromising the results.

Tips from the journals of the American Society for Microbiology - The following are tips from the Journals of the American Society for Microbiology: "New Vaccine Strategy May Protect Against Respiratory Syncytial Virus;" "Tree Shrew Offers Small-Animal Model of Hepatitis C Virus Infection" and "Phage Therapy May Reduce Salmonella Infection in Pigs."

Notre Dame study focuses on protein dynamics - A discovery by associate professor of chemistry Brian Baker and his research group at the University of Notre Dame reveals the importance of dynamic motion by proteins involved in the body's immune response.

AGU journal highlights -- January 21, 2010 - Featured in this release are research papers on the following topics: "First study to show that seismic imaging detects ocean's internal tides", "Ice is 'rotten' in the Beaufort Sea", "Global warming increases flood risk in mountain areas", "Worldwide nitrogen deficit constrains carbon dioxide uptake by plants", "Upper atmosphere influences weather near Earth's surface" and "New finding on key element of Earth's lower mantle".

Language structure is partly determined by social structure, says Penn psychology study - Psychologists at the University of Pennsylvania and the University of Memphis argue that human languages may adapt more like biological organisms than previously thought and that the more common and popular the language, the simpler its construction to facilitate its survival.

Go easy on the environment -- and our wallets, says Generation Y - When it comes to saving the environment, Generation Y is all for it -- as long as it comes with an economic benefit, according to new research by Michigan State University in collaboration with Deloitte LLP.

Discovery of algae's toxic hunting habits could help curb fish kills - A microbe commonly found in the Chesapeake Bay and other waterways emits a poison not just to protect itself but to stun and immobilize the prey it plans to eat.

Inflammation 'on switch' also serves as 'off switch' - In a surprising finding, researchers at North Carolina State University have discovered the critical importance of a protein previously believed to be a redundant "on switch" for certain immune-system responses.

Identification of the gene responsible for a new form of adult muscular dystrophy - A study published in today's online edition the American Journal of Human Genetics allowed the first identification of a new form of adult onset muscular dystrophy. The research team led by Dr. Bernard Brais, neurogeneticist at the Research Centre of the Centre hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal and associate professor, Université de Montréal, in collaboration with European collaborators, demonstrated that recessive ANO5 mutations will lead to abnormal membrane repair of muscle fibers.

How to live your life twice - Prof. Carlo Strenger of Tel Aviv University says the myth of the mid-life crisis has been disproved by recent empirical studies and field research.

Mountain plants unable to withstand invasion - An international research team has studied the distribution of plant species in mountainous environments. The study shows that mountain plant communities are not particularly resistant to invasion by exotic species. The scientists also warn that these may become more aggressive as global warming gets a grip.

Lack of cellular enzyme triggers switch in glucose processing - A study investigating how a cellular enzyme affects blood glucose levels in mice provides clues to pathways that may be involved in processes including the regulation of longevity and the proliferation of tumor cells. In their report in the Jan. 22 issue of Cell, researchers describes the mechanism by which absence of the enzyme SIRT6 induces a fatal drop in blood sugar in mice by triggering a switch between two critical cellular processes.

Engineers: New sensor could help treat, combat diabetes, other diseases - A tiny new sensor could provide fresh, inexpensive diagnosis and treatment methods for people suffering from a variety of diseases.

Disease severity in H1N1 patients - A new study published in CMAJ concerning the severity of H1N1 influenza has found that admissions to an intensive care unit were associated with a longer interval between symptom onset and treatment with antivirals and with presence of an underlying medical condition. People of First Nations ethnicity were also found to be at higher risk of severe H1N1 infection compared to people of other ethnic origins.

Study finds face masks and hand hygiene can help limit influenza's spread - Ordinary face masks and hand hygiene can effectively reduce the transmission of influenza-like illness during flu season. The finding comes from a new study, now available online, published in the Feb. 15 issue of the Journal of Infectious Diseases. In an influenza pandemic, vaccination may not be initially available, and antiviral prescribing may be limited, which is why scientists need to understand how effective other measures are in preventing influenza.

Do children need both a mother and a father? - A recent study focused on the importance of gender-specific parents for child rearing.

Team finds childhood clues to adult schizophrenia - Years before adults develop schizophrenia, there is a pattern of cognitive difficulties they experience as children, including problems with verbal reasoning, working memory, attention and processing speed.

Moving through time - Thinking of the past or future causes us to sway backward or forward.

UVa engineers find significant environmental impacts with algae-based biofuel - With many companies investing heavily in algae-based biofuels, researchers from the University of Virginia's Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering have found there are significant environmental hurdles to overcome before fuel production ramps up. They propose using wastewater as a solution to some of these challenges.

EU must increase surveillance to prevent money laundering, study warns - The EU enlargement has meant a greater risk for banks operating in this territory, as many countries "have not historically provided rigorous processes against money laundering, and it is likely for them to need a longer adjustment period." This research, conducted by a professor of Financial Economics from the UGR, has recently been published by the Real Instituto Elcano.

Bubble physicist counts bubbles in the ocean to answer questions about climate, sound, light - A URI bubble scientist is studying how to detect and count ocean bubbles of different sizes to help scientists in other disciplines create more accurate models. Ocean bubbles play a role in cloud formation and climate change, and they are important when studying ocean acoustics.

'Cooling' forests can heat too - Forests can trap heat as well as carbon. Recent research at the Weizmann Institute shows that in one type of semi-arid forest, it may take years for the effects of carbon capture to override those of heat retention.

Experts advise caution over new incentive scheme for NHS hospitals - The English NHS should "proceed cautiously" in introducing payment for performance schemes aimed at improving the quality of care in hospitals, warn researchers from the University of York on bmj.com today.

Malnutrition higher in children born to child brides - Infants born to child brides in India (married before the age of 18) have a higher risk of malnutrition than children born to older mothers, according to research published on bmj.com today.

Lung cancer patients who quit smoking double their survival chances - People diagnosed with early stage lung cancer can double their chances of survival over five years if they stop smoking compared with those who continue to smoke, finds a study published on bmj.com today.

Researchers identify a new gene involved in autophagy, the cellular recycling program - Researchers at the Institute for Research in Biomedicine led by Antonio Zorzano, head of the Molecular Medicine Program and senior professor of the University of Barcelona, have identified a new gene that favors cell autophagy. The article has been published in EMBO Reports, which highlights it in the section "Hot off the press."

High vitamin D levels linked to lower risk of colon cancer - High blood levels of vitamin D are associated with a lower risk of colon cancer, finds a large European study published on bmj.com today. The risk was cut by as much as 40 percent in people with the highest levels compared with those in the lowest.

Teaching computer games - Computer games have a broad appeal that transcends gender, culture, age and socioeconomic status. Now, computer scientists in the US think that creating computer games, rather than just playing them could boost students' critical and creative thinking skills as well as broaden their participation in computing. They discuss details in the current issue of the International Journal of Social and Humanistic Computing.

Scientists using X-ray vision to produce more nutritious flour - Pioneering research combining plant breeding and high-intensity x-rays is being used by scientists funded by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council to explore the possibility of developing wheat which could be used to make potentially life-saving mineral enriched flour. The research is highlighted in the latest issue of Business, the quarterly highlights magazine of BBSRC.

New evidence links humans to megafauna demise - A new scientific paper co-authored by a University of Adelaide researcher reports strong evidence that humans, not climate change, caused the demise of Australia's megafauna -- giant marsupials, huge reptiles and flightless birds -- at least 40,000 years ago.

Stroke's 'death signal' discovered; may aid drug development - Biomedical scientists from the University of Central Florida and Louisiana State University have identified a way to block a "cell death signal" that they believe triggers brain damage during strokes.

San Andreas Fault study unearths new quake information - Recent collaborative studies of stream channel offsets along the San Andreas Fault by researchers at Arizona State University and UC Irvine reveal new information about fault behavior -- affecting how we understand the potential for damaging earthquakes.

Large medical center reduces CT scans and patient radiation exposure through a simple, educational intervention - A large New York medical center reduced the number of CT scans and radiation dose delivered to emergency department patients with suspected pulmonary emboli by holding collaborative educational seminars for staff and routing patients to CT pulmonary angiography or ventilation perfusion scanning based solely on their chest X-ray results, according to a study published in the February issue of the American Journal of Roentgenology.

Genetics helps to crack down on chimpanzee smuggling - The population of chimpanzees across western Africa has decreased by 75 percent in the past 30 years, due in part to widespread chimp hunting. New strategies are needed to curb this illegal activity. Research published in BioMed Central's open-access journal BMC Ecology suggests that genetics may provide valuable clues as to how to crack down on the animal smuggling trade, while also helping to safely reintroduce rescued apes into the wild.

Video of virus in action shows viruses can spread faster than thought possible - New video footage of a virus infecting cells is challenging what researchers have long believed about how viruses spread, suggesting that scientists may be able to create new drugs to tackle some viruses.

Scientists discover cells critical to childhood leukemia - Scientists at the Royal Melbourne Hospital and the University of Melbourne in Australia have discovered the cells that cause a common type of childhood leukemia -- T cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. Targeting of these cells may lead to improved treatments for this disease and help prevent relapse.

Obesity ups cancer risk, and here's how - Obesity comes with plenty of health risks, but there's one that's perhaps not so well known: an increased risk of developing cancer, and especially certain types of cancer like liver cancer. Now, a group of researchers reporting in the January 22 issue of the journal Cell, a Cell Press publication, have confirmed in mice that obesity does indeed act as a "bona fide tumor promoter." They also have good evidence to explain how that happens.

Study projects increased conflict and speculation in tropical forests despite Copenhagen Accord - As environmental and political leaders struggle to determine how to move forward from the UN Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen, a new report by an international coalition of top forest organizations warns that the failure to set legal standards and safeguards for a mechanism to transfer funds to forest-rich nations may trigger a sharp rise in speculation and corruption, placing unprecedented pressures on tropical forest lands and the communities that inhabit them.

US birth weights on the decline - A study that analyzed data from 36,827,828 US babies born at full-term between 1990 and 2005 has found that birth weights decreased by up to 79 grams (2.78 ounces) during that time frame. The decreases could not be explained by changes in maternal or neonatal characteristics or trends in obstetric care practices such as cesarean sections or induced delivery.

Degree of obesity raises risk of stroke, regardless of gender, race - The higher a person's degree of obesity, the higher their risk of stroke -- regardless of sex or race. Stroke is more likely among obese blacks than obese whites. Effects of obesity on stroke incidence are likely related to the increased incidence of cardiovascular risk factors, such as high blood pressure and diabetes.

Watching crystals grow provides clues to making smoother, defect-free thin films - To make thin films for semiconductors in electronic devices, layers of atoms must be grown in neat, crystalline sheets. But while some materials grow smooth crystals, others tend to develop bumps and defects -- a serious problem for thin-film manufacturing. Cornell physicists shed new light on how atoms arrange themselves into thin films.

Ultrasound plus proteomic blood analyses may help physicians diagnose early-stage ovarian cancer - Noninvasive contrast-enhanced ultrasound imaging, combined with proteomic analyses of blood samples may help physicians identify early-stage ovarian cancer and save the lives of many women, according to an article published in the February issue of the American Journal of Roentgenology. Proteomics is the study of proteins, particularly their structure and function.

Adverse reactions from gadolinium-based contrast agents used during MRI rarely occur, study suggests - Acute adverse reactions from gadolinium-based contrast agents used during magnetic resonance imaging to help improve the information seen on the images rarely occur, according to a study published in the February issue of the American Journal of Roentgenology.

Popular handheld devices show promise in the field of emergency radiology - Handheld devices such as personal digital assistants and the iPod Touch are prevalent among doctors. However a recent study shows that these devices may be particularly useful for emergency radiologists, who in the near future, may be able to use them for teleconsultation and emergency procedures, according to a study published in the February issue of the American Journal of Roentgenology.

Digital mammography delivers significantly less radiation than conventional mammography - Data from one of the largest mammography trials in history demonstrates that overall the radiation dose associated with digital mammography is significantly lower (averaging 22 percent lower) than that of conventional film mammography and that the reduction could be greater in women with larger and denser breasts, according to a study published in the February issue of the American Journal of Roentgenology.

CWRU research finds first oral bacteria linking a mother and her stillborn baby - Yiping Han, a researcher from Department of Periodontics at Case Western Reserve University School of Dental Medicine, reports the first documented link between a mother with pregnancy-associated gum disease to the death of her fetus.

Heart attack victims who have ECGs in the field experience shorter time-to-treatment - A recent study found that individuals experiencing chest pain who had electrocardiogram assessments prior to arriving at the hospital experienced a significantly reduced time-to-treatment or door-to-balloon (D2B) time. The mean D2B time was 60.2 minutes compared with 90.5 minutes for in-hospital ECGs. Details of the study appear in the January 2010 issue of Catheterization and Cardiovascular Interventions, published by Wiley-Blackwell on behalf of the Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions.

New concoction reprograms differentiated cells into pluripotent stem cells - In Cell Stem Cell, Singapore scientists report surprising discovery that novel transcription factor Nr5a2 can replace classical reprogramming factor Oct 4 to significantly increase efficiency of reprogramming differentiated stem cells into iPS cells.

Stain repellent chemical linked to thyroid disease in adults - A study by the University of Exeter and the Peninsula Medical School for the first time links thyroid disease with human exposure to perfluorooctanoic acid.

Tracking MRSA evolution and transmission - Researchers have developed a remarkable new method to precisely track transmission of MRSA from one person to another in a hospital setting. The method "zooms" from large-scale inter-continental transmission events to person-to-person infection of MRSA within a single hospital. The technique, which harnesses the latest high-throughput DNA sequencing technologies, helps researchers understand how strains spread so rapidly, and should lead to novel infection control strategies, not only for MRSA but also for other emerging superbugs.

Slime design mimics Tokyo's rail system - What could human engineers possibly learn from the lowly slime mold? Reliable, cost-efficient network construction, apparently: a recent experiment suggests that Physarum polycephalum, a gelatinous fungus-like mold, might actually lead the way to improved technological systems, such as more robust computer and mobile communication networks.

Changing flowering times protect tobacco plants against insect herbivory - Plants attract insect pollinators to ensure reproduction. However, female moths are also threatening to the plant: attracted by the flower's scent, they lay eggs on the leaves, and voracious caterpillars hatch. Scientists from the Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology have now discovered how tobacco plants solve this dilemma. They found that herbivory changed the opening time of the flower buds from dusk to dawn, attracting day-active hummingbirds which are also able to transfer pollen.

LSUHSC research yields promising stroke treatment - For the first time, research led by Youming Lu, Ph.D., M.D., Professor of Neurology and Neuroscience at LSU Health Sciences Center New Orleans School of Medicine, has identified a novel mechanism that may trigger brain damage during stroke and identified a therapeutic approach to block it.

Link between obesity and enhanced cancer risk elucidated - Epidemiological studies indicate that being overweight or obese is associated with increased cancer risk. The most dramatic effect of obesity on cancer risk has been noted for a common form of liver cancer called hepatocellular carcinoma or HCC. Modeling the effect of obesity in mice, researchers at the UC San Diego School of Medicine have conclusively demonstrated that obesity is tumor-promoting and have obtained evidence that this effect depends on induction of low-grade, chronic inflammation.

Tobacco plant thwarts caterpillar onslaught by opening flowers in the morning - We normally think of pollinators as providing a valuable service to plants, and they certainly do. In exchange for nectar, pollinators like the well-known honey bee carry pollen from one plant to the other and thus promote cross-fertilization.

Unwanted guests: How herpes simplex virus gets rid of the cell's security guards - A viral infection is like an uninvited, tenacious houseguest in the cell, using a range of tricks to prevent its eviction. Researchers at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies have identified one of the key proteins allowing herpes simplex virus DNA to fly under the radar of their hosts' involuntary hospitality.

Researchers develop new bushfire warning device - A new, low-cost bushfire detection and monitoring system is being developed by University of Adelaide researchers using mobile communications technology.

Low vitamin D levels associated with greater risk of relapse in childhood-onset multiple sclerosis - Low vitamin D blood levels are associated with a significantly higher risk of relapse attacks in patients with multiple sclerosis who develop the disease during childhood, according to a study conducted by researchers from the University of California, San Francisco.